


Second Chance

by One_Lucky_Shot



Series: Second Chance [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Choices, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Non-Canonical Character Death, Not Canon Compliant, Opens where episode 12 leaves off, Post-Canon, Spoilers: Volume 7 (RWBY), Time Travel Fix-It, Volume 7 (RWBY), What Have I Done, Yeah they're both there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22486498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/One_Lucky_Shot/pseuds/One_Lucky_Shot
Summary: Salem is on her way. If that wasn't enough, Qrow has a dead body on his hands, Penny and Winter are faced by the Fall Maiden, Team JNOR are preparing to fight Neo, and Team RWBY needs to stop the General before he costs lives.It is all seeming rather hopeless, isn't it?If only they had more time. If only they had made different choices. If only they had a second chance.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Ruby Rose & Weiss Schnee & Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, James Ironwood & Oscar Pine, James Ironwood & Pietro Polendina, James Ironwood & Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc & Nora Valkyrie & Oscar Pine & Lie Ren, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Oscar Pine & Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen & James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Weiss Schnee & Winter Schnee
Series: Second Chance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619896
Comments: 26
Kudos: 126





	1. Tough Choices

**Author's Note:**

> So this opens with the heart-breaking event from the last episode, but is relatively brief. I felt like I couldn't NOT address it. This is my first time writing most of these characters, so all and any advice or comments is appreciated!
> 
> I'm hoping to finish this before the last episode drops, so I'll be finishing this tomorrow. For now, enjoy this chapter.

The sun rose over the tundra, the sound of another convoy was overhead. Qrow didn’t care at this point. He cried. He cried for his lost friend. His lost…  _ something more.  _ The man he had wanted to trust him, and help him work things out. The man who was his partner. Now he was dead. Clover Ebi was dead, and it was his fault.

Even as he heard the shouts behind him, the calls for his arrest and an explanation, Qrow didn’t move. His hands pressed to the gaping wound in Clover’s chest, despite knowing it would change nothing. He couldn’t bring him back. Only once the footsteps got closer did Qrow move. They froze as the huntsman stood up. Blood dripped from his hands, onto the snow, but it made no difference - it was already soaked from the body. He silently walked to the other side of Clover to retrieve the pin, before locking his eyes onto the soldiers who had come to check on the convoy, and probably arrest him.

He could see the fear in their bodies. He could see it in the way they raised their guns at him. He’d joke about what could he do without his weapon, but he knew what he could do. He was a danger. He had gotten Clover killed. Neither party moved, so instead Qrow broke the silence.

“Robyn Hill is by the crash. She needs medical attention. Tyrian Callows escaped. Cl…” Qrow tried to keep his emotions under control. Not that it mattered, when his cheeks were tear-stained, and his eyes and throat sore from crying. He choked on the name of his friend, and simply lowered his gaze. “I need to get to the General.”

* * *

Team JNOR held their weapons tightly in front of them, ready for a fight, but not wanting to rush in. It was Nora who moved first, swinging her hammer into an uppercut, but it did not collide with Neo herself. It seemed to hit a glass wall that shattered the whole scene, to reveal the same scene behind it, except the small woman was off to the side of Nora. Her eyes widened, attempting to shift her hammer into a sideways swing, but it was far too slow. Neo moved way quicker, and had slammed her heel into Nora’s stomach, sending her flying down the hallway.

“Nora!” Ren called out, but quickly shifted his attention straight back to Neo, hardening his gaze into a glare. The rest of the team moved in that moment, with Ren in the lead. His bladed guns clashed with the length of her umbrella, brought up to defend herself. Jaune came from the side, shield first, charging in to tackle Neo. Oscar came from the other side, dashing from the floor at a quick speed, lunging cane first.

It was almost beautiful, the way she used Ren’s force to kick off the ground, and flip over his head. They would have appreciated it in its full grace, if only she wasn’t their enemy. Oscar and Jaune barely managed to avoid crashing into each other, coming to a halt in front of Ren. They were unable to respond to Neo’s response though. Next thing Ren knew, he felt a quick series of jabs in his back, before a heavy kick threw him forward, straight into Jaune and Oscar, sending all three sprawling to the floor. Jaune and Oscar landed near-by, but the force of the kick sent Ren down the hallway in that direction. His aura flickered a little as he struck the ground with a heavy thud. He groaned.

Jaune set a hard stare on Neo, as she simply sauntered back from the two boys. She swung her umbrella onto her shoulder, and smirked. Her eyes flitted to Oscar and the Relic. She never got a chance to make her move though as a grenade went soaring into her, and blowing up. The cross-section became cloudy with pink smoke, leaving both boys and their opponent coughing. Jaune took the chance to get to his feet, and took a wide swing with his sword. He saw her shadow jump backwards, out of the smoke, wisping around her clothes. Jaune followed soon after with a jab. He was relentless as he went for multiple jabs, and even using his shield to bash, but Neo deflected every blow.

That grenade would have packed a punch at least, but not enough to slow her down apparently. It did mean Nora was back up though, and probably away to join the fight. Oscar dashed out of the smoke a moment later, shouting the boy’s name as he slammed into Neo with his shield. She skidded along the floor, keeping her balance, and glaring at Jaune. She made a small mocking bow. Oscar had been running behind Jaune, and actually leaped onto his back to jump into the air. Neo’s eyes widened as Oscar flew towards her, yelling as his cane slammed into her chest. She slammed into the floor, her aura flashing, but not quite breaking. Despite the bad landing, she flipped back up onto her feet, a smirk on her face as she bowed mockingly.

From behind Jaune and Oscar, Nora fired her hammer behind her, and came flying into the fight, her hammer swinging above her, only to shatter the shards of Neo’s semblance. The fight came to a full stop, as her location wasn’t immediately apparent. They all froze as they heard a familiar grunt behind them and the three standing members of JNOR spun on their heels to face the cross-section… and saw Neo thrusting her umbrella over and over, trying to hit him. His back was against the wall, and Nora’s face fell as she saw his aura flashing dangerously.

She charged, followed closely by the other two boys, but they were too slow. It was almost like the world slowed down. A slam of the umbrella to Ren’s face had broken his aura, and as he tried to recover, and follow the momentum to dodge, the sharp tip of the umbrella found its way into his chest. Dangerously close to the heart. He didn’t fall immediately, but his body was losing its posture as he found himself losing strength. The heart-wrenching cry of Nora had Neo jumping back, out of the way.

Jaune and Oscar swiftly got between Nora and Neo as the former abandoned her weapon to grab onto Ren and lower him slowly. “Jaune! You gotta do something!” Her voice was desperate, riddled with panic. As their leader was about to turn and help, Neo lunged forward, forcing Jaune to raise his shield and engage in the fight. The kick that followed forced him away from his team, having to take a moment to find his feet. Oscar tried to go for Neo, thinking it was an opening, but instead she spun out the way, letting the cane go straight past her. She grabbed Oscar’s arm, and swept her leg under his, using his arm to slam him onto the ground. He could feel his aura strain, and he winced as he attempted to move.

Neo gave the team no break, despite her aura being so low. Nora attempted to dive for her weapon, but received a swift kick to her stomach that rolled her straight into the wall behind her and Ren. She let out a cry of pain, her aura struggling to keep it together. She gasped as she scrambled out of the way of the stab, but it caught her leg, leaving a wound as her aura gave in. A kick to the head knocked her out cold. Nora’s body collapsed beside Ren’s, who was breathing a lot weaker than before.

Oscar scrambled to his feet. Ren was dying. Nora was out cold. His own aura was barely intact. They had no idea what they were getting into when they started this fight. How could one woman have taken them down so easily? Neo was away to start the relentless assault on Oscar once more, but her attempt was blocked by Jaune sliding into place in front of Oscar.   
  
“Oscar! Run!”

“What? No! You’ll die!”

“Protect the relic!” Jaune shoved back at Neo, swinging with his sword to try and put some distance between them. “Go!” His voice was desperate, and Oscar could hear the fear. His leader’s voice was wavering, but still he stood firm in his order. An order Oscar did not want to follow. He hesitated, lifting the cane to rejoin the fight, but Jaune’s voice stopped him. “Get out of here, Oscar!” He spared a moment to glance back at the younger boy, and then it clicked.

Jaune knew he would die. Ren was already on death’s door, and Nora probably wouldn’t recover for a little while. Jaune knew that the relic needed to be protected. That didn’t mean Oscar didn’t see the tears in his eyes. The fear. The concern. A mix of many more emotions that Oscar couldn’t recognise. He knew he had to honour Jaune’s choice, no matter how hard it was.

Closing the cane, Oscar took off as fast as he could. He heard metal colliding with metal, and the sounds of Jaune shouting. He could feel the rage and upset of those yells for his downed team members. Oscar tried not to think about the fact he was leaving Jaune to die…

He couldn’t help but focus on the heart-breaking yell that echoed through the halls moments later.

* * *

The halls seemed eerily quiet as four girls, an old man and an old lady ran through them. They stopped at an intersection, and Ruby glanced about. She felt a frown take over her face. Behind her, Yang approached, gently placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder, and rubbing her thumb into it. “What you thinkin’, sis?”

The girl sighed, before slowly turning around to her team. “We’re all spread thin, and with Salem on her way… We’ll be stronger together.” She worriedly bit her lower lip. It wasn’t the only threat though. Cinder… Ironwood… and who knew where her uncle was.

“Ruby… I think I should go after my sister,” Weiss spoke up. It sounded as though she had been considering saying it for a while. It was a tentative statement, sounding more like a request than anything. She was worried, after all.

Ruby felt like her shoulders were heavier than ever, so took a deep breath. Whatever happened, they would just have to move forward. Trust one another. It would also mean divide and conquering the different concerns. “Cinder is probably going after her, it’d be a good idea to provide back-up, or at least find out if they’re safe. Finding Jaune and the others is important too… we need to ensure their safety and the relic’s. But we also need to stop the General… am I missing anything else?”

Blake tapped a finger against her chin. “Getting communications back on would be helpful too, but… I suspect we’ll need to confront the General to get those back.” Ruby hummed in agreement.

“I’d rather not have to fight the General if we don’t have to.”

Maria scoffed from beside Pietro. “He’s gone bonkers, that General! I doubt there’s any reasoning with him.”

“He’s just not thinking straight. He doesn’t realise that we’re still here to help. We just…” Ruby trailed off.

“We can’t let him abandon Mantle.” Blake finished for her, offering a small smile. Her cat ears lowered a little in sorrow at the idea of leaving Mantle behind. There were many faunus down there. She wished she could be down there right now, fighting on the front lines to save the citizens, but there would be no way to save them if they didn’t stop Ironwood’s plan. It was a tough choice, and she hated that she had to remain here. They all did.

Ruby seemed to let her expression harden, and her team noticed. Their leader had a plan. “Weiss, you know where the Winter Maiden is. Ensure her protection. No Maiden powers, no Staff of Creation for both Salem and the General.” She swiveled to her sister and Blake. “Since you two told Robyn about Amity, I think you’re best to explain that, and see if we can get the General to listen to us and understand our choices. If not… I believe you two are strong enough to hold him off.” Ruby gave them both a smile, and watched as Yang swung an arm round Blake’s shoulders, grinning as her girlfriend blushed.

“You got it, team leader.”

“And you?” Blake inquired.

“I’m going to find Oscar and the relic. And hopefully Jaune and the others too. When I do, we’ll head for the vault. We need a last line of defence in case…” Ruby started biting her lip again. “In case the worst happens.”

The girls shared a look with each other, before quickly pulling each other into a group hug. Ruby fought back tears, fear and doubt of her choices raising in the back of her mind, but she knew it was necessary. Weiss was the first to actually part, and seemed to have a similar problem with her eyes. She rubbed at her cheeks, while drawing her weapon. With her free hand, she then waved. “Good luck, I’ll see you soon.” With that, Weiss used her glyphs to propel her down the corridors, to get to her sister as soon as possible.

Ruby was away to say something to her sister and Blake, but paused to turn to Pietro and Maria. “Do you think you two might be able to… help convince the General?” She watched as Pietro sighed and tilted his head.

“I… may be able to. At the very least I can try.”

Maria grumbled, but shrugged nonetheless. “And if he doesn’t listen to reason, we hit him hard.”

The rest of the team snickered, and with that decided, Ruby hugged the other two girls again. “Stay safe, alright?”   
  
“You too, Ruby.” Yang responded, grabbing her sister once more before she could get away.

Finally, they parted and Ruby stepped back. “Wish me luck.” The girls smiled, before going their separate ways. Ruby hoped to Remnant that Oscar and the others were okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things I am: A bully to characters
> 
> I... am so sorry. I swear it gets better.


	2. Move Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWBY may have won their battle, but they are clueless to the other battles their allies have lost. They have to divide and conquer if they have any hope... any chance of being able to win this fight. But unfortunately, all seems hopeless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm not as pleased with this chapter, but I'd like to finish this before tomorrow! I don't think I'd finish it if the episode released.
> 
> Even though I don't think it's as good, please enjoy.

Fire tore through the halls as Weiss grew closer. Cinder was already here. She could hear the sounds of battle in the distance, but had no clue who or what was going on. As she pulled into the final hall, seeing bodies of both living and robot soldiers, she froze, raising a hand slowly to her mouth. She was shocked. Her eyes flitted towards the end, where Fria would be, and she saw her sister, slumped against the wall.

Winter’s hair was singed in multiple places, her face had taken at least a couple of hits judging by the bloody lip, and bruise on one side of her face. Her weapon was a molten mess of metal near the door to the old maiden. She was still conscious though. Weiss shook her whole body, to get herself moving again, even though she could hear Penny fighting Cinder.

_ ‘Just hold on, Penny.’  _ Weiss ran to her sister’s side, glancing at the room, but more focused on Winter being alive and okay.

“Weiss…” Winter smiled a little. “Get… the Winter Maiden out of here…” She was slipping from conscious, but at least she wasn’t dead, or even dying. But Weiss wouldn’t be able to get Fria and Winter out here alone.

Before Fria though, there was something more important. Drawing her weapon, Weiss turned to the room. Cinder was relentlessly firing upon Penny, who looked worse for wear. It wouldn’t be the Vytal Festival again. It wouldn’t be Beacon again, Weiss swore to herself. With Cinder’s back open, Weiss summoned glyphs below her feet to launch her at the other. It was barely a sound, but enough to warn Cinder, and Weiss found herself facing fire.

She quickly unsummoned the glyphs, and changed her trajectory, so she swerved out the way of the worst of the blast.

“Weiss!” Penny cried out. And oh dear, when Weiss was closer, it looked worse. Some of Penny’s blades were little more than clumps of metal, and one of her feet was looking… odd. Her clothes and hair were similarly singed, but she was still putting up a fight.

“Winter says we have to get Fria out of here!” Weiss responded, wielding her rapier once more, and summoning glyphs behind her. Cinder’s eye widened for a moment, before icicles fired from the glyphs, homing in on their opponent. Each one, Cinder flipped backwards in order to dodge, leaving the ice to rest on the ground.

Penny and Weiss shared a glance at each other, before moving without words. Penny launched herself the best should could with one foot working properly into the corridor, after Cinder. Weiss heard the battle between the two continue. She felt worry for her sister crop up, but she had to focus. If Cinder got the Winter Maiden powers, there would be no stopping her. She ran for the chamber, opening it up. Fria mumbled, but she was pretty much out cold. Sliding her hands under her legs, and back, Weiss lifted the frail old woman into her arms. It wasn’t easy, but they had to escape.

Running to the door, she glanced out, and watched as Penny took another hit to her chest. Metal was showing through, and Weiss couldn’t hold back a wince. This… wasn’t going well.

“I’m going to melt you, little puppet!” Cinder cried out, forming blades in her hands to begin striking down the last of Penny’s blades.

“I am no puppet! I am a person!” The accusation seemed to boost Penny’s motivation to fight back, and she moved one of her remaining blades to cross Cinder’s. As the two clashed, Weiss chose to take the moment to run out, and run the opposite way. Cinder noticed, and despite Penny’s attempt to force her away, a fireball was fired Weiss’s way, before hitting her squarely in the back. A cry was wrenched from her throat as she tumbled forward, losing hold of Fria, sending them both sliding along the floor for a couple of feet.

That victory gave Cinder the confidence to summon more fire than before. Weiss leaned up on her hands, glancing over her shoulder as she felt the hallway heat up. She wished she hadn’t looked. She wished she hadn’t heard. But she could not tear her gaze away from the sheer amount of fire surrounding Penny. She couldn’t get the girl’s scream out her head as Cinder fulfilled her promise to her. Weiss only saw the cruelty as Penny was reduced to little more than a molten mess.

She had to run. She had to escape with the Maiden.

She didn’t have the strength though, and she found herself slowly losing strength as she slumped again. She had thought her aura was fine, but Cinder had torn right through it without a sweat. She hated how she couldn’t stop Cinder. All she could do was watch as Cinder slipped her left arm from her cloak, revealing what looked… far more like a Grimm. The apathy was the best comparison Weiss had. She… could only watch as Cinder drained Fria of her power.

She watched as Fria’s life slipped from her.

Weiss… felt completely helpless. She had come to help, and instead had failed, and in a few moments, she had no doubt she would be…

She didn’t want to think about that.

Cinder slowly retracted her hand, and something about her almost glowed with power. She was stronger now. She… had the power of two maidens. There was no longer a Fall and Winter Maiden. They were now one. She slowly turned on Weiss, who froze in fear.

This was the woman who had impaled her back at Haven and now… There was no Jaune this time. There was no surviving this. Despite the thought though, Weiss scrunched up her face, not willing to accept this yet. Just as Cinder summoned a sword in her hand, poised to kill Weiss, a glyph below her feet appeared, and Weiss quickly made a movement to throw Cinder back. It took her by surprise, knocked her into a wall, but it was nowhere enough. It did give Weiss the time to get to her feet though.

She had her view blocked by the back of her sister. She was hunched over, but still poised to fight.

“Go. You need to warn your team.” Winter said curtly, before lunging after Cinder.

“Winter!” Weiss cried out, but she glanced to Fria’s body… the metal that was the only remainder of Penny. She knew she had to warn the others. She hated having to run, but Ruby had been right. They were stronger together.

So she ignored her sister. As Winter clashed blades with Cinder, Weiss jumped from glyph to glyph with surprising speed towards them. Her sister’s eyes widened, as Weiss suddenly dropped low, and swept Cinder’s leg with her blade, allowing Winter to win the clash. It wouldn’t last though, but it was enough for Weiss to grab her sister’s arm and start yanking her away.

“Let’s go!” Between the two Schnees, not even Cinder could keep up with their glyphs, as they used their individual speed glyphs to escape.

Cinder hissed, and seethed in rage, but she soon let herself calm down. She had an even greater prize than their deaths - the Winter Maiden powers.

* * *

Petals were left in Ruby’s wake as she attempted to get to the living quarters in order to find Oscar, the relic, and with any luck, Jaune, Nora and Ren. She was not far when she found herself screeching to a halt, and tripping over her own feet.

“Oscar!” She shouted after the younger boy when she saw him. He paused, and for a moment, Ruby thought he might cry, but it was softened by the relieved smile that spread across his face, and the two began running to each other, and collided in a hug. Ruby held him close, before quickly backing away and looking over him. “You… got in a fight?” It wasn’t too obvious, but there were scuffs, and a couple of injuries that clearly Oscar hadn’t used his aura to heal… if he had any up anymore.

“We… Jaune, Ren and Nora…” Oscar’s expression fell so quickly that Ruby almost wished she hadn’t said anything, but she needed to know. Whatever happened, she needed to be prepared with as much information as possible. She raised a hand to rub at his shoulder, attempting to reassure him, without pushing him for information. One of his hands raised to take Ruby’s hand, and he just squeezed it for support, before finally continuing. “Someone called Neopolitan attacked me and tried to steal the relic,” he gestured to where it now sat on his hip, still safe and sound. “We got it back, but ended up fighting with her. I… don’t know how but… Ren got stabbed, fatally I think…” That alone made Ruby’s face fall, but Oscar didn’t stop to look up at her. “Nora was out cold, so Jaune… told me to run. He… He sacrificed himself to protect me and the relic.” Finally he looked up, and tears were welling up in his eyes. He hugged Ruby once more before she had a chance, and without realising, she had begun crying too.

They clung to each other, Ruby mostly silent compared to Oscar’s small sobs. She tried her best to calm him down, rubbing her hands up and down his back, making soft sounds to comfort him, but she couldn’t help being distracted. While this was important, they needed to move. She decided to give him a few more moments, before eventually pulling back. She had to put on a tough face, despite the tears on her own cheeks, matching Oscar’s. “I know this is hard, but if Neo is back that way then… we should move.”

Oscar sniffled, taking a moment to collect himself, and straightened his shoulders. It was a little weird to watch, but Ruby couldn’t help but feel pride at how well he pulled himself back together. He rubbed at his eyes a little more, before nodding to her. “I’m… as okay as I will be for now. You’re right. If we want to protect the relic, we have to move.”

The two shared a glance, speaking so many words with just their eyes. Neither could believe that Jaune… Ren and Nora were all probably dead. They just couldn’t be… It was hard, even considering having to just run from their location, and move forward. It felt so  _ heavy  _ to just… continue the fight.

But that’s what they had to do. Gripping each other’s hand, they nodded in agreement to move.

* * *

By the time Blake, Yang, Pietro and Maria found the General, he was somehow looking worse. More scared. More paranoid. Blake felt a pang of sympathy for the man. She recognised the look. The feelings. Perhaps he could still be reasoned with. If they could get communications back up too, it would help them prepare for Salem.

“General…?” Blake spoke so softly. The last thing they needed was another fight, especially since her own aura had taken heavy hits. He paused in her walk, and she paused in her approach as he spun to face her. His gaze flitted from Blake, before looking to the three others behind her. She had no clue where he had been going, but this was as good a place as any to talk. Just as she was away to speak, Ironwood cut her off.

“You beat the Ace-Operatives…?” He did not sound nearly as surprised as they expected, but Blake nodded. She felt Yang approach from behind, but not quite within touching distance.

“They’re fine. And honestly, we’d be better working together, rather than fighting each other. This is what Salem wants.” Blake tried to reason, trying to get Ironwood to listen. When he didn’t respond, Yang slowly stepped in beside Blake.

“And… General, sir. It was my choice to tell Robyn Hill about Amity. We considered it the best option when it came to keeping the peace. Blake’s right. Salem wants us divided. She wants us to do her job for her. Robyn, you, the Ace-Ops… We all have to work together. Not just to protect the relic and maiden. But to protect the people. And that includes Mantle.” Yang punctuated the last line with enough anger that even Ironwood took a step back. Blake simply slipped her hand into Yang’s. Anger wouldn’t help right now. They needed the General on their side.

Silence fell over the three of them, unsure where to go from there. Yang had put it quite clearly honestly. There were interrupted by Pietro coughing to get attention and approaching slowly, with Maria not far behind. “James.” He said, smiling softly. Old friends was what they could describe the look shared between them. “James, my daughter may have been created with the idea of helping Atlas, but she chose to protect the people of Mantle. She is the Protector of Mantle.” He smiled fondly about his daughter, thinking about how she had grown so much, even if she had to be rebuilt. “I understand how hard these choices are, but there are people in Mantle that my daughter swore to protect, and I don’t want to see them let down. Penny trusts Team RWBY, but she has also trusted you. Perhaps you should see that these children have had your back the whole time. Ruby really wanted to reason with you.”

Maria scoffed, shaking her head. “Despite your actions, that kid has faith in you. She still believes that you can do the right thing. I think you’re a fool.” They all raised their eyebrows at her, almost as if to question why she needed to add her opinion to the matter. “What? He needed to hear it.” She rolled her eyes.

Blake snickered a little, despite Yang still being tense beside her. The laughter seemed to help the other girl loosen up a little, before they turned back to Ironwood. Blake looked on, hopeful that he’d see reason. “Please, General. Ozpin and Qrow both trusted you. Penny and Winter trust you. We want to help.”

That seemed to shift something. Ironwood sighed, with more tiredness than one man should ever hold, and let his shoulders sink. He reached for his scroll, when it came to life, informing him of a report. The others could only see his eyes widen, as he quickly seemed to attempt to call… someone.

“This has to be a joke.” Ironwood said immediately when the call connected.

“No sir, we found his weapon covered in blood at the scene.”

Blake and Yang immediately tensed as they heard Qrow’s voice. “How many times do I have to tell you! It was that bastard! Tyrian got away! James! Seriously, what in Remnant do you think you’re doing!”

There was a scuffle on the other end, before Ironwood sighed. “Did you kill him?” Blake and Yang shared a look. Kill who? Tyrian? That didn’t sound right. What had Ironwood read? Maria and Pietro shared a similar look of confusion.

“No! I would never… I…” Qrow’s voice cracked, and Blake knew that was a sob she heard. “Clover was my partner, James. Your stupid order caused us to fight and now…!” This sob was louder, and made the whole group tense. When he spoke again, the words were so quiet that it surprised them the scroll had picked them up. “It was  _ my fault _ …” He sounded so… broken. Yang didn’t like hearing that. Sure, he had been struggling in Mistral but… he had never sounded so distraught. And it became a lot harder to hear after seeing him smile, and gain confidence while in Atlas.

“Let him go,” Ironwood ordered, but it… well. Didn’t sound like an order. His voice was layered with so much sympathy. “And Robyn Hill?”

“Still unconscious.” The soldier was back. They could hear movement in the back, and presumed they must be releasing Qrow.

“Return as soon as possible.” With that, Ironwood cut off the connection. A few moments later, Yang and Blake heard their scrolls bleep, and a voice came through. Ironwood had restored connections, and it seemed he was speaking orders.

“Mantle will not fall. Atlas will not fall. Continue evacuations.” They watched as he clicked something new. “Everyone. I thought I was making the hard choice because it was the right one. I… am not sure what the right choice is honestly.” Well, not quite the goal Blake and Yang wanted, but close enough. “But what we do need to do is work together. I’m sending Blake and Yang to free the Ace-Operatives, and then we will ensure we are the final line of defence for the relic.”

There was a moment of peace, before Ironwood’s scroll seemed to go off on its own. Qrow. “James, I… You protect my kids, or else you’ll have me to deal with.”

Ironwood chuckled, and it felt like there was some life in him again. Nothing would make the events that occurred okay, but they could deal with the consequences later. For now, they needed to take a stand. “You have my word.” He cut it off, before turning to Blake and Yang. “You have your orders. We’ll need all the help we can get. They should have heard the messages too.”

They both nodded. “We’ll meet you at the vault.” Yang confirmed, before leaving Ironwood with Pietro and Maria. He turned to them both.

“You should join the evacuees. You’ll be safer there.”

Ironwood struggled not to chuckle at Maria’s complaining that followed, as she mocked him. That was one brave old woman - way braver than he ever could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hello, while I enjoy Ironwood as a character, please don't mistake me as excusing his actions here. He's a very tired man, and seeing his top operatives beat is probably a bit of a shock. Also he doesn't want to be another Leo.
> 
> Qrow is absolutely still mad at James, but he's very hurt, and just wants to be able to grieve in peace, but he's not getting the chance. He's now running on the other thing he cared about: his kids. He's shoving everything down : (


	3. A Different Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everyone gathering to the Vault, it's time to make a stand. It's time to protect the relic. But news from the different groups seems to hurt.
> 
> So many are gone in such a short time, and it doesn't seem to be improving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super happy with how I plotted out the fights here, but I was getting short on time with the release of the last episode coming soon. I didn't want to leave this unfinished before the episode, so have a... somewhat rushed finish.
> 
> I hope it's still enjoyable and if I ever revisit this, hopefully I can plot out the fights better.

To say things were awkward was an understatement. Ironwood was the first to the vault, though Oscar and Ruby arrived not long after. They all paused, and despite hearing the message, Ruby still didn’t know what to say. Oscar seemed to have her back though.

“Glad to be fighting alongside you once more, General.”

“James.” Ironwood said with a smile. “Oscar, Ruby… you two still believed in me, even when I didn’t deserve it. If it wasn’t for you two, things… they aren’t great, but at least we’re not fighting.”

Ruby finally found her words, and nodded. “We need to work together. We… made our mistakes. We can’t change that. All we can do is make sure we do better, moving forward, and hope that we did enough. I… believe in us.”

Her words are so hopeful, so determined, Ironwood couldn’t help but share her smile. It dropped after a moment though, as the memories of his conversation with Qrow replayed in his head. He’d have to tell them. But the Ace-Operatives also needed to know.

Oscar and Ruby were in a similar position. The General needed to know about Jaune, Nora and Ren, but… so did the others. They fell into silence, but thankfully not for long.

Yang and Blake were first seen, and Ruby grinned widely. Then the Ace-Operatives turned the corner behind them, looking in varying states of unsureness and awkward. If Salem weren’t on her way, Ruby and Oscar would have surely taken some joy in it.

Harriet walked in front of Blake and Yang as they got close to the General, Oscar and Ruby, and she seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking. “Sir, what’s the plan?”

Ironwood shook his head, and simply nodded his head towards Ruby and Oscar. “I think it’s best if I’m not the one making decisions this time.” Everyone seemed stunned.

Vine eventually got out his thoughts. “Are you sure, sir? These are… children…”

“You’re a General…” Elm spoke out, in full surprise.

Marrow stayed in silence as they all sat in their thoughts. Not even the kids knew what to say to this. He slowly straightened up and nodded firmly. “Those children have proven that they are some of the best huntsman and huntresses Remnant has to offer. I…” He frowned. “I think we should trust them.” He glanced to the other operatives. “We did before, after all.”

“Heh, you did.” Harriet chuckled, poking fun at their youngest member. Marrow frowned, but didn’t let that get him down as he glanced back to the group.

Yang grinned and pulled Ruby into a chokehold as she gave her sister a noogie. “Look at my lil’ sis! All grown up and leading adults too now!” Ruby squirmed to get away, and the others couldn’t help but chuckle at the childish display. Even in the face of Salem’s approach, they found time to keep their spirits high.

“Sir, not to be rude… and as pleasant as all this is. Time is of the essence. I have to ask something.” Elm placed her hands on her hips.

“What is it?”

“Where’s Clover?”

It was as if ice-cold water had been dropped over the whole hallway. Yang and Blake shared a look, before looking to Ironwood. Blake was the first to break the ice. “General, if you’d like I could…”

“No…” He interrupted her, shaking his head. He gently placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder, as a thanks for the offer, before speaking to everyone. “Ebi’s… Clover’s convoy with Qrow, Robyn and Callows’s… crashed. I don’t know all the details but… Callows escaped and… a fight between Qrow, Clover and Callows ended in…” He sounded so  _ exhausted.  _ “Tyrian Callows killed Clover.”

Ruby gasped from the side, her eyes widening, and tears almost immediately springing to her eyes. She… couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t the only one either. Elm physically took a step back, as if it would make it easier to be further away. Vine could only stare, wide-eyed. Harriet seemed to run through a lot of emotions at once, anger being visible the most. Marrow tensed up, his own eyes welling with tears, but a couple of deep breaths prevented him from crying. He was an Ace-Operative after all.

Oscar slowly rubbed Ruby’s shoulder, and the group simply went quiet for a moment. A moment for Clover. Oscar hated that he had to do this, but there would be no other time. “I’m sorry to add to this but… everyone should know.” Ruby tensed immediately, tears be damned, and looked to Oscar. She wanted to stop him, but she didn’t. Instead he continued. “Jaune, Nora and Ren… I… don’t think… they made it.”

The already shaken group felt that one to the very core. Clover… was an adult. But Jaune, Nora and Ren… they were children. That… stung more. Yang and Blake could only tense up, and quickly seek out the other’s hand so they could pull each other into a tight hug. Ironwood had gone completely silent. Children. He had lost… children under his command.

The Ace-Operatives all glanced to each other, with them then turning to Marrow. Apparently hearing about that had been the final kick to the dam. He felt the tears finally fall and he quickly turned away, covering his face. No one said anything, but the other operatives did move to rub his back, or rest a hand on his shoulder. They were trying to show support despite not being the closest they could be. Marrow had grown closest with the children after all. He wiped his face, and tried to not let his sadness show, but it was impossible. Elm ended up keeping him in a tight hug against her.

“Anymore surprises?” Harriet asked.

As if on cue, the sounds of glyphs went off in one of the corridors. Ironwood, Oscar and Ruby had to spin around, only to see both Schnees dashing along them, with Weiss just behind Winter. It was a shock to the group to see both of them with singed hair and clothes, but Winter was looking like she shouldn’t still be standing. Her face wasn’t looking great at all.

Both sisters seemed to show an expression of relief at seeing the others, but Winter’s expression fell and her glyphs cut out. Weiss tried her best to slow her sister’s fall, coming to a stop on her own glyphs. Winter practically glided to the floor thanks to the glyphs, and Weiss was running over. A moment, and then Ironwood, Ruby, Blake and Yang had all moved.

“Winter!” Ironwood spoke, with more concern than before. After that heavy conversation, there was no surprise that he was so concerned. They had already lost 4 people. If he lost Winter too…

“She’s just unconscious. We… barely made it out of there.” Weiss sounded pained, and her team soon found out why as they got closer. Her back was marred by fire, covering so much area that her friends were surprised she had managed to make it back here. Then again, adrenaline was a powerful motivator. As was survival. Her team slowly approached, reaching for Weiss. Ruby came to sit right next to her, and slowly removed her hands from Winter as Ironwood checked on her.

Ruby slowly pulled Weiss into a hug, and Blake knelt to the side, and hugged them too. Yang joined last, squeezing them all, but being careful of Weiss. Once the girls had their moment, they parted, and glanced to Winter.

“She… should be okay.” Ironwood said, before gesturing to Vine to come over. “We need to get Winter and Weiss out of here. They’re far too injured.”

Weiss stood up swiftly, wincing, but not caring how her back hurt. “I can still fight, General!”

“No, you can’t,” Ruby spoke, reaching up to grab a hold of Weiss’s hand. “You’re injured, badly. Your sister is unconscious. You need rest.”

“How can I rest, Ruby! Cinder has the Winter Maiden powers! And Penny…!” Weiss’s hands gripped tightly as she fought a losing battle against her own tears. She was swaying on her feet, something the others realised, and each stood up. Yang placed a hand on Weiss’s shoulder to help steady her. Silence fell as the realisation of her words hit everyone. Cinder was no surprise but Penny…

Ruby scrunched her eyes closed. She allowed herself a moment. She had to get Weiss somewhere safe first. Looking back to Weiss, she grabbed her other hand. “This is your team leader telling you that you need to rest. If you fight in this state you… we can’t have anyone else die.”

Weiss’s eyes widened. She then realised that Oscar wasn’t with his team. It was so easy to tell when the penny dropped, and she realised what Ruby meant. Her tears were silent as they fell, and she turned towards Vine as he got closer.

“Do not worry. You’ll be safe, and everyone will be okay.” Vine was attempting to reassure Weiss, but his voice wasn’t really getting the memo. He picked up Winter, before stepping away a little. “Let’s get you somewhere safer.”

Everything seemed to come to a calm again as Vine escorted Weiss away, hopefully to get both sisters treatment.

They all hated this. It… was just getting worse. Or rather, they were discovering just how bad things were when they were apart. Thoughts raced through everyone’s head, and they wished they had more time to grieve. To hurt. To tackle their personal feelings over all the events they had just heard, but the sound of fire and wind forced them to take a stand. Each of them drew their weapons, keeping Ironwood at the back.

“Cinder…” Ruby seethed, as she drew her scythe. As she turned the corner, the same corner the Schnees had turned not even minutes ago, her hands crackled with power. The walls began to freeze, and it became hard to keep their balance, as winds whipped down the corridor. Ruby tried her best, but the closer they let Cinder get, the more likely she was to deal a heavy blow. She glanced over her shoulder. “Marrow!” The operative tensed up, and raised an eyebrow, but didn’t have a chance to question anything.

Within a split second, Ruby had dissipated into rose petals to Marrow’s side, and grabbed a hold of him. He quickly held on in return, before the two of them became swirling petals of red and pale blue. Cinder gathered fire, and aimed for the pair, but Ruby expertly split the two into three bolts and reformed on the other side of the fire, allowing herself, and Marrow to reappear. Behind them, the others dodged out of the way of the fire.

Ice creaked around Ruby and Marrow, but before Cinder could prepare another attack, Marrow straightened up, pointing at Cinder, yelling “Stay!” Cinder froze, an expression of surprise crossing her face. Marrow sighed with relief, but it meant he was stuck here. But… if it kept the newly empowered Cinder off their backs, it was enough.

“Thanks Marrow. How long can you keep that up?”

“... No clue.” The phrase was spoken quickly. He kept his focus on keeping Cinder in place for now. Ruby remained at his side. When Cinder got free, Marrow would need a quick escape. She wasn’t about to leave him there.

The sound of bullets echoed through the halls, and the others in the group looked towards each other, before raising their weapons. The clashing of metal, and then an ear-splitting laughter was all that preceded Qrow soaring into the intersection that led to the vault. He didn’t even notice though, since it seemed immediately after, Tyrian darted forward, his hands glowing with purple aura. He was attempting to break Qrow’s aura.

“Uncle Qrow!” Yang shouted, before running forward, and launching herself into the fray. The sudden extra combatant surprised Tyrian, and he took a punch straight to the face, allowing her to put distance between Tyrian and Qrow. “C’mon!” She didn’t look over her shoulder to see if Qrow followed - she knew he had. They came to a stop at the group, where Harriet and Elm stared at Qrow. “What are you…” Yang stopped as Blake gestured to Qrow’s suit.

Oh.

Clover’s pin.

Another sound cut off their moment, and Neo was walking down the only other way towards the vault. She smirked, as she watched the group. Harriet lowered her body, preparing, but Qrow quickly spoke. “Salem’s here. This isn’t the best place to pick this fight!” Even as he said it though, they all felt the darkness creep behind him. Tyrian’s laughter was louder than before, and the group froze.

Salem.

A lot happened all at once then. Marrow lost his concentration, and his aura was already dangerously low, so the moment Cinder was free, she let a huge fireball go towards him. Ruby responded too slowly, and while the pair became rose petals and landed back with the group, Marrow’s tail had been burnt. He was wincing in pain. Ruby still had enough aura to protect from the blast.

Tyrian had come running for them, and Qrow had charged forward to block his advance. It was hard to handle due to the scorpion tail constantly trying to stab his face. The scorpion faunus grinned, pausing his attempts to slowly run a finger along Harbinger’s blade. Along where the blood had not long dried and stained his sword. “Poor little Clover… he didn’t deserve what you did to him.” He grinned maniacally.

The prod had made Qrow tense up, and he hardened his glare as he swept his weapon with more force than he meant to. Tyrian jumped back, but the hallways meant that Qrow’s weapon embedded into the wall. Now he felt stupid. He let go of it, lifting his fists, ready to fight even without his weapon. Tyrian cackled, poising his tail for an attack, but suddenly there was Harriet beside him. She crackled with energy, and she watched as the tail struck. Instead it hit air, as she grabbed Qrow out the way.

Meanwhile Neo had crossed paths with Elm and Blake. Attaching to the floor, Elm grabbed her opponent's weapon in both hands, actually causing her to express surprise. It remained for barely a second. Neo used her anchor to Elm to push into the air, letting go of her weapon and aiming to kick Elm in the head. The Ace-Op was no pushover though, and deactivated her semblance to fall back and duck the attack. Blake jumped over Elm, and Neo went to kick her in the chest, only for her foot to phase through, and the shadow froze around her. The woman stumbled, the sudden weight on her leg throwing her off.

Oscar could only stare past Tyrian as he felt the cold creep through the halls. He didn't have all the memories yet but he knew this feeling. He could feel it deep within his bones. "The vault…" He muttered. "Into the vault!" He turned to Ironwood. The two shared a look, before the General quickly opened it up. "Everyone in!" Oscar and Ironwood ran in first, with Ruby helping Marrow, Elm and Blake quickly sliding in the side and Harriet, Yang and Qrow getting in last. Far too many for comfort, but necessary.

Ironwood quickly jabbed the controls, but not quick enough. Oscar froze as he caught a glance of Salem finally arriving. Gliding along the corridor slowly.

This… was it.

Qrow grunted and seemed to glance at Harriet beside him. Cinder and Neo were taking their time. Tyrian was charging and would reach them before the elevator moved. "If you don't protect my kids, I'll come back and haunt you, Jimmy!" was all the warning the others had as Qrow dashed out to fully deflect Tyrian's charge, holding Harbinger between them.

"Better make Clover proud." Harriet smirked towards the others, before dashing out, and slamming Neo away from the elevator. Harriet straightened up, preparing for a fight.

That was the last thing they saw. The elevator went silent. It was only a few seconds but it felt like a lifetime. Ruby finally let the sob escape her throat, and her sister pulled her into a hug. Yang let herself cry too.

"We… we're not going to make it, are we?" Marrow spoke from where he sat. He looked exhausted. His semblance had eaten up what little he had regained since the fight with Weiss.

No one liked to hear the thought, but things seemed hopeless right now. Even as the sounds of battle raged on over their heads, no one had any doubt that Qrow or Harriet would likely perish. If they hadn't, who knew what kind of chaos Tyrian and Neo could have caused on the platform. No one chose to reply. They all stayed in their thoughts.

Ruby and Yang were trying to support each other. Blake found herself wrapping an arm round Yang, and then petting Ruby's hair. Elm seemed to try and put on a tough face. Ironwood… it was a surprise he could seem more sorrowful than before but this looked like it broke the man even further. He was already in a million pieces.

Oscar slowly raised his cane, staring at it. What good was being the next Oz if he couldn't save anyone? He had hoped things would turn out better. They had tried to protect the maiden, the relics, Atlas and Mantle. And…

They were going to fail, weren't they? And when they did, nothing would stop Salem anymore. People may know now, but they were regular people. Salem would win.

The platform reached the bottom. They all got off, with Elm helping Marrow. They quickly rushed onto the main part of the vault, and turning to face the entrance. It… was very deep. Time ticked on by, and finally Ruby and Yang seemed to recover. It was weird hearing the faint sounds of a fight. It almost gave Ruby hope.

The doors so far up suddenly flew off, fire and wind blasting through. The doors came flying down and Yang and Blake shifted.

Grabbing her girlfriend's weapon, Yang dropped off one side of the bridge, and swung under. She used the movement, blasting her left arm behind her to get the speed. Coming round and back up, she let go and prepared her fists in front of her. The doors flew closer to her and a quick series of punches ensured they would miss the bridge. Coming back down, Ruby lept after her sister, turning them into rose petals to bring them safely back to the ground.

What looked like a boot of lightning zipped down the wall, and stopped in front of the sisters and they paused as Harriet breathed deeply. "She's… she's toying with us." She gritted out in frustration. Her arm wasn't moving right. She looked weak, but fierce and determined still. She would fight to the end. "Qrow, I… don't…" She had no clue what had happened to him.

A flap of wings caught their attention, and in a flurry of feathers, Qrow landed beside his nieces. Immediately he fell to his knees. The Ace-Ops had a split second of confusion but decided it wasn't the craziest thing going on today.

"Qrow…?" Ruby spoke slowly and watched as Qrow removed his hand from a gaping wound in his stomach.

"Sorry, kiddo… don't think I'll… be surviving this one." He chuckled, as if trying to play off his potential death. No… it wasn't potential. Qrow was going to die, and Salem's forces were right above their heads. It was a miracle Qrow and Harriet had even gotten back to them.

Ironwood moved over quickly, using his working hand to help Yang and Ruby move into a more comfortable position. Harriet joined the rest of her team, unsure about getting in the way. They would only have a moment to grieve after all.

Blake stood by Yang and Ruby, resting a hand on both of their shoulders. Oscar approached too, kneeling by Ruby to provide support, but also to check on Qrow. The more time passed, the more Oscar had felt close to Qrow. Not through his own efforts, but because of the memories of Ozpin.

"Uncle Qrow…" Ruby didn't know what to say, as his skin was losing colour. Yang couldn't say anything, and chose to hold onto his hand, while Ruby petted his hair from his face.

"You'll be alright…" Qrow smirked weakly. "You're the best huntresses in all… of Remnant." He glanced to the General, simply giving him a sad smile. They seemed to understand each other, even for a moment.

Oscar wanted to speak but he didn't know if it was his place. But then Qrow looked to him. Just like with the General beside him, they needed no words to convey those feelings. He knew Qrow believed in him. And while he had been hurt by Ozpin, Oscar wasn't quite that man. Oscar was still himself.

He thought he'd heard enough heart-wrenching cries today, but he was never going to get Ruby's out his head. She gripped her uncle tightly as she felt the life slip from him. She doubled over, begging him to come back.

Yang's heartbreak was much more visual. Her eyes flickered between red and purple, her hair glowing. She couldn't seem to control her semblance in that moment and even the squeeze on her shoulder from her girlfriend wasn't helping.

Oh how Oscar wished his friends could grieve properly. How he wished he could grieve properly. But evil rested for no one. The sounds of wind told them all that Cinder wasn't giving them any more time. Tyrian and Neo were probably trying to find a safe way down. Salem… would be next.

His eyes glanced to Ironwood who looked like all the fight had left him. He glanced to the Ace-Ops, who looked as though they could do with a long sleep. Elm could at least still stand but Harriet was beaten and Marrow had exhausted his aura beyond its limits.

And then the girls. Blake seemed to be hurting so much because of how much pain her friends were in. Seeing them so broken… Yang looked as though she may actually rush into a fight. Something that would probably kill her. And Ruby…

Her eyes were flickering, the power of the silver eyes displaying themselves, but unable to activate properly.

It was over. He knew that deep down. They all knew it. They had lost. They would all die here. Oscar would join the cycle of reincarnation, and some other poor boy would be just as confused as he was. But he wouldn't have Qrow this time. He wouldn't have Team JNR. He wouldn't have Team RWBY. He wouldn't have Ruby. He reached for her hand, slowly pulling them away from Qrow.

"I'm sorry. I wish we could have more time. I wish we could have made better choices. I… I wish this wasn't what happened." Oscar slowly pulled her into a hug, and blinked as he felt something within.

* * *

Next thing Oscar knew, he was staring at Jaune, on the ground, sparking with electricity and Nora chuckling. He blinked as he heard the storm of rose petals flying towards the pillar where Ren was resting.

_ My team… _

He jumped, clambering to his feet as Ruby didn't go round the pillar, but instead collided with it, and fell straight onto Ren, who yelped. Oscar winced but blinked.

This… was familiar. Why was this familiar?

The doors to the training room opened and the General's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Clover wasn't kidding. You're really giving it your all."

"James!" Oscar said out loud, spinning on his heel. Clover and Ironwood both looked surprised and Oscar heard Ruby gasp behind him. Ironwood looked especially confused since Oscar had never called him 'James' before.

"We…" She started. "Oscar! You did it!" She left Ren to be helped by Nora, as she leapt at Oscar, hugging him tightly. Everyone was looking in varying states of confusion. They parted and looked around.

"I… I did it. It's…" Oscar paused and blinked. "The day of the election. When Tyrian…" The pair nodded.

"Uh…" Clover approached and raised an eyebrow. "Does someone mind filling us in?"

Oscar and Ruby shared a look. Oscar had no clue how Ruby remembered, and in some ways, she wished she didn't. He could see tears glistening in her eyes. She could still remember what happened to her uncle. But it didn't stop her from straightening her back and putting on a determined look.

"We… have a lot to explain. We have to change the timeline."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! I'll be going back to my AU now, where everything is... well. It's not happier, but hey! No one's dead! Except Summer!
> 
> I had originally wanted the fight to extend into the Vault, but I didn't have the energy, and then while writing this, I decided I liked this tie-up.
> 
> Sorry for the cliff-hanger, and while I genuinely have thoughts about how, if this happened, Oscar and Ruby would fix the timeline, I didn't want to promise I had more. It is doubtful I will add to this considering the episode is out in 2 and a half hours.
> 
> ARE WE EXCITED? I AM TERRIFIED.
> 
> I actually loved writing some of the fights in this, but it got difficult with certain characters when we don't know the full extent of their combat abilities. Or alternatively, I forgot (Sorry Neo, I forgot your semblance had advanced). I hope, despite that, the fights were easy enough to follow, and enjoyable to read, and I hope the character moments were good enough and in-character. Thank you, all comments and kudos are appreciated <3


	4. Making It A Series

I've decided I'm going to add to this, and flesh it out! I'll leave this first part finished, since I never intended to continue it really, but I will be doing a second story or one-shots about how they fix the situation. Here we go, lads, this is how we cope with V7C13


End file.
